Lamp-socket.



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J. M. HALL;

LAMP SOCKET.

APPLIOATION FILED AUG. 14. 1911.

1,017,051. Patented Feb. 13,1912.

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I Irznfij WWW Gum/nag J. M. HALL.

LAMP SOCKET. APPLIOATION FILED AUG.14, 1911 1,017,05 1 Patented Feb. 13, 1912.

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V, UNITED STATES P TENT .UFFICE.

JAMES Mona-on HALL, OF SULPHUR- SPRINGS, Taxes.

2 LAMP-SOCKET.

To all whom it may concern: I w Be it known that I, JAMES M. IlALL, a citizen of the United States, residing at Sulphur Springs, in' the county of Hopkins and State of Texas, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Lamp- Sockets, of which the following is 'a specification, reference being had to the accom-..

panying drawings.

My invention relates to newand usefu improvements in devices classed under the head of illumination and more particularly to an electric lamp socket, the primary object of the invention being to provide a device of this character having means thereon for the regulation of the intensity of the current passing therethrough.

A further object of the invention resides in the provision of a lamp socket havlng a Y resistance coil therein with which the line wires are adapted to cooperate, and a further object resides in providing a plurality of contact posts to which the'wires of the resistance coil extend.

Still another object resides in the provision-of a manually operated slide adapted to contact individually with said 'contact posts.

A still further object resides in the provision of a metallic shell through which the slide operates and which forms a current conductor which forms part of the circuit between the two line wires.

A still further object resides in providing a device which is comparatively simple in constructiomthereby readily and cheaply manufactured, and'one which is very effective and useful in operation.

v With theseand other objects in view, my invention consists in the novel features of construction, combination and arrangement and more elevation of the device set up for'operationQ of parts as will be hereinafter referred to particularly pointed out in the specification and claims.

In'the accompanying drawings forming a part of'this application, Figure 1 is a side Fig. 2 is a longitudinal section therethrough asseen on' the line 2 2,-Fig. 1; Fig. 3 is a side elevation of the device with the shell 1 and outer casing removed. Fig. 4: is a transverse section as seen on line 44, Fig.

1, 5 is a diagrammatic view showing the circuits, tIVG. view of the slide member which-is used I to complete the circuit.

and Fig. 6 is a detail perspec-.

In. carrying out my invention, shall refer to the drawings in which similar refer ence characters' designate corresponding:

ing through said heads 1 and 2 and retain" Specification of Letters Patent. Patented Feb. 13, 1912.- Application filed August 14, 1911. SeriaI No. 643,876

ing the same in spaced alinement one above I i the other, is a central tubular member 3, said tubular member leading at itsupper end to .a cap 4' mounted on the upperhead 1, while the lower end thereof leads to a cavity 5 in the lower, or outer face of the head 2. E2:- tending through said tubular member 3 at its upper end through the cap 4, is a pair of line wires 6 and 7, said line wire 6 extending the complete length of said tube and leading to a contact point -8 in the upper or inner wall of the cavity 5 of said lower head 2.

This cavity 5 in the lower face of the head 2 is circular, and mounted therein, is athreaded sleeve or the like 9 whichis adapted to receive the threaded portion 10 of the usual or any preferred form of electric bulb 11. When properly seated in said socket, the

'contactpoint 12 of the'bulb is adapted to contact with the'terminal 8 of the line wire 6. The other contact point 13 of the bulb is adapted to engage a terminal 14 inone side of the sleeve 9 which is received therein from one end of a wire 15 which extends through a slot 16 in the head 2. This slot extends from the cavity to the outer periphery of the head, and the wire 15 has an outer terminal 17 mounted in the outer periphery of said head beyond the slot 16, the purpose of which will be hereinafter and more particularly described. At this point, it must be statedthat a metallic cylindrical shell 18 is also provided, the lower end of which is adapted to be secured to the lower head 2 by means .of the screws 19, one of which is entered through the slot 16.0f said head, while the upper end thereof is bent inwardly somewhatfto form a neck 20 to engage the upper-portion of the upper head 1,-

it being'understood that said upper head is of smaller diameter than said lowerhead. The neck 20 is secured to said upper head by means of screws 21, and it will be appreciated that in view of the fact .that one of the screws 19 enters the slot 16 to contact with the wire 15 extending therethrough,

the curreiit passing therethrough will be conducted through said metal shell 18.

As before stated, the line wire 7 enters the tube 3 at the upper end thereof with the wire 6, but the same does not extend completely therethrough, as does said wire 6, but extends through a radial slot 22 in said head 1 to be engaged with the first of a series of contact posts 23 arranged in spaced alinement on the outer periphery of said head 1. As shown in the drawings, there are five of these contact posts 23, but it will be readily understood that any number desired may be provided and that this number is merely used as a matter of convenience, and leading from the first of said posts, is an additional insulated wire 24 which is wound the full length of the central tube 3 and returned in like manner to be engaged with the second of the posts 23. Extending from this second post is another insulated wire 25 which is wrapped in a similar manner over the wire 24 and returned to the third post, while a further wire 26 leads from said third post and is wrapped in a similar manner about the wire 25 and returns to the fourth post of the series 23, and a still further wire 27 extends from said fourth post and is wrapped in a like manner about the other wires to be returned and engaged with the last post in the series. As shown, these wires 24, 25, 2G and 27 are coiled, but it will be readily understood that any desired wire may be used, the coil wire being the most preferable, however, in view of the resist ance that the same afiords. As stated, this series of contact posts 23 is disposed on the outer periphery of the upper head 1, but as the neck 20 of the metal shell 18 is so disposed as to engage the upper edge of said I head 1, said shell will have no portion thereof in engagement with said posts. I have, therefore, provided means whereby the current which passes through said shell from the wire 15 may be conducted to any of the posts 23, thereby completing the circuit. To this extent, I provide the upper portion of the shell 18 with a guide member 28 which is mounted on the outer face thereof and forms a slide-way for the slide member 29. This slide member has a laterally extending arm 30 thereon which extends through a slot in said guide member 28 so that the movement of said slide member may be limited, and the arm 30 is provided with a finger piece or handle member 31, whereby the same may be readily moved when desired. The metallic shell 18 is also provided in alinement with .the guide member 28,- with an elongated peripheral slot 32 which, when the shell is properly positionedon the heads 1 and 2, is disposed immediately over phe series of contact posts 23, and the slide nember 29 is provided with an elongated spring tongue 33 which extends tht'o'ugh said slot 32 and is adapted to contact with they posts 23 as said slide is moved in its guide-way. This slide being of metal, is adapted to conduct the current passing through said shell 18 to the various posts and when engaged with the first of the series of posts, will conduct thecurrent direct from said posts through the wire 7 while when engaged with the last of the series of posts, the current necessarily must pass through the series of wires 24, 25 26 and 27, which offer considerable resistance. The result, therefore, will be that when said slide is positioned so that the tongue 33 thereof is engaged with the first of the series of posts, the intensity of the current will be at its greatest, thereby offering a very bright light, while as the slide is moved so that said spring tongue engages the other contact post, the intensity of the current will be reduced, due to the resistance, until the last post is reached, whereupon there will be but a very small amount of current pass ing through the device. As stated, the slide is provided with a slot through which the arm 30 extends, and when said arm is at of the same, thereby breaking the current.

entirely.

In order to provide a neat'operating device and also to prevent any possible chance 'of obtaining a shock from the current which is passing through the device, ll provide an outer casing or covering 34 which is formed of rubber or any other preferred non-conducting material.

Tn practice, my improved socket may be made any desired size, it being understood that the same, as disclosed in the drawings, is somewhat enlarged, and in any instance, the cavity in the lower head of the device having the threaded sleeve therein, is made of a standard size,'so that the same may readily receive a bulb of the standard size. This device may be dropped as the ordinary socket, from a ceiling or wall or may be mounted therein, as desired, as the mounting thereof will have no efi'ect, whatsoever, upon the operation of the same, and when a bulb is placed in the cavityin the lower head, it will be seen that the two contact points 12 and 13 thereof will, respectively,

contact with the points 8 and 14 of the lated heads for said cylindrical member, one 7 of which is provided With a cavity for the reception of said bulb, line Wires extending through one of said heads, one of said line Wires having a terminal in said mentioned head, the other of said line Wires extending through the cylindrical member and having a terminal in the cavity of the other head, a plurality of-co'ils Within said. cylindrical member having terminals on the first mentioned head in alinement With the terminal of the 'line Wire thereon, an additional Wire having terminals, respectively, in the Wall of said cavity and said cylindrical member and LIHGELHS to complete the circuit between said Eline Wires, comprising'a slide mounted .adjacent the upper end 1 being provlded with a spring tongue at one on the periphery of said cylindrical member thereof, said slide end thereof extending through the slide in said cylindrical member, said spring being adapted to contact with the terminals of the coils and line Wire on the adjacent head, a finger piece on the slide :t'er manual operation thereof, and means to limit the movement of. said slide.

In testimony whereof I hereunto ailix my signature in the presence of two i" JAMES MONROE LALL.

Witnesses GEORGE A. Germa ne, XIVILIAN .ALEXANDER. 

